Stormclouds Gathering
by Emec
Summary: Read Destiny, or something first.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own Frus, Gaia, and Rose. Beastfire owns Ivy.

"Little girl, I need you to tell me everything you know. Everything," the words were hissed through a pair of lovely pink lips.

"Fluffy, why are you doing this?" came the squeaking reply.

"Oh, dear, still calling me by that name that you gave me? You shall address me as Rose, Warrior of Hearts! Now tell me about this Skeleton King that everyone seems to be so afraid of," answered the pink weasel.

"Skeleton King is evil. He attacks us all the time, and sends his mean Formless to hurt people. He really wants to destroy the Hyper Force. But Fluff-Rose, why do you want to know about him?" answered the girl. She was tied up and covered in scratches.

"Oh, I have plans, I have plans, don't you worry. Now, tell me about this technology on your planet," said Rose. The girl explained as much as she could, prompted by the scratches she received when she didn't reply.

"Now, my dear girl, you take a bath and go off to bed. I'll be gone when you look. And you won't tell anyone about this, right?" said Rose. She spoke in a tone that was like poison covered in honey.

"N-No, Rose, I won't tell," said the girl. She then hurried off. Rose slipped out of the window and into the street. She hurried off to the park and dug herself a temporary den. All she had to do was wait for Skeleton King to attack.

She didn't have to wait long. When the armies of Formless began to charge into town, she knew that it was her chance. She slipped off towards where the nearest dropship was. It was a simple matter for her to sneak onboard as the last of the Formless that had ridden on it exited.

It was quite the learning experience for her to watch how the ship was piloted, and she was soon onboard the Citadel of Bone. She ripped the head off of the robot pilot so that it couldn't sound any alarms and hurried off to find Skeleton King.

The evil ruler was sitting atop his throne, so he wasn't hard to spot. Rose strode right up to him; fear was foreign to her.

"Greetings, my lord, I take it that you are the great Skeleton King?" she said.

Skeleton King laughed at how brazen this tiny creature was. He then called upon some Formless to dispose of her. He was quite surprised when she easily tore through all of them.

"Impressive," he said. "Why are you here?"

"Simple. You want to destroy or conquer the Hyper Force and take Shuggazoom City. That helps me towards my goals as well, so I want to help move your plans along," explained Rose.

"And who are you? I can tell that you are a powerful warrior, but they are not so uncommon. Why should I allow you to join me?" said Skeleton King.

"I am Rose, Warrior of Hearts. I am from Tserof-7, but since I tricked a Stellerwind Dragon, I have some connections all across that area," she said.

"Tserof-7? Ha ha ha ha ha, I know of that planet, and there is no way that you could even understand enough of my technology to keep up with the Formless!" said Skeleton King.

"You underestimate me. I will learn your science," answered Rose.

"Fine, then. Mandarin!" Skeleton King called. The orange monkey hurried in.

"Yes, my master?" he greeted.

"Mandarin, teach this child about science. She has 72 hours to build a working robot," commanded Skeleton King.

Three days later, Rose returned from Mandarin's laboratory with a one-eyed humanoid robot following her. It had large claws, fur on the back of its hands, blades going up its forearms and legs, and a shock of silver hair.

"This is Saga. His power goes beyond that of most of your minions. Now, _partner_, I believe our next move is to gather my "friends" together and prepare to attack," said Rose. Skeleton King could only nod.

Ten days later found Rose scouring the outer rim of the galaxy. She was collecting the most powerful assassins and mercenaries she knew of, promising them money and power. Swaying her hips at the right times didn't hurt either.

There was one, however, whom she would promise anything. The one she was there looking for. His power was legendary. It was the first time she had brought Saga from the ship for protection. It was the first time she had brought anyone for protection.

Eventually, she found him, sitting in a bar. The walls and ground were stained a bloody red, and there was a corpse lying in a corner. The man she was looking for was wearing a black greatcoat black pants, black gloves, and black boots. His shirt was hidden, but it was surely black as well, as were the man's eyes and hair. However, the most striking thing was that there was a coffin with a briefcase handle on the ground next to him.

"Master Morgue, I presume?" said Rose.

"You got a job for me?" asked the man.

"Yes. I'm prepared to pay you handsomely for-" Rose began.

"Do I get to kill?" interrupted the man.

"Yes," said Rose.

"I'll do it for free. My partner and I, we're not mercenaries for the money," said the man.

"Your partner? Where do we need to go to pick him up?" asked Rose.

"He's here," said the man, patting the coffin. "He's a zombie."

This man, Morgue, finished his drink (it was like a mixture of paint thinner and battery acid) and got up, lifting the coffin. He stood nearly seven feet, and now that he was looking at her, Rose saw how frightening his gaze was. They exited the bar, Saga following closely behind.

Hmm...I know what I want to do with this, but not what should happen next chapter. Should it be about the villians' planning, or should we check in with our heroes?


	2. Meanwhile

Thank you 4Evermonkeyfan, Beastfire, and crystal sapphire!

Chapter 2 - Meanwhile

As the cunning Rose and her new friends planned and prepared to attack Shuggazoom, the Hyper Force, unfortunately, remained oblivious. For them, life went on as usual.

Luckily, for the Hyper Force training was what was usual. The monkeys practiced using their special powers, against various types of training robots and obstacle courses. Ivy and Frus trained together. Ivy threw fireballs at Frus, who knocked them away with his sword. Later, Ivy began to use larger things.

One day, as he was training, Frus got an idea. He and Ivy were training outside, and she had used her telekinesis to hurl a fallen tree at him, thinking that he would try to slice through it with Gaia. Instead, Frus pointed the sword straight down, and stuck it in the ground. From around him, dirt and stone rose up and created a shield. However, as the log was deflected, the small island he had created and was standing on, collapsed. Apparently, he needed to practice drawing earth from a nearby area without making the terrain harder for him to fight on. Frus had also noticed that unlike with metal, he couldn't make a single stone simply change shape. If he wanted a particular shape, he would need a mass of rocks working as one entity.

Frus started to practice drawing dirt, shaping it, and making it collapse together into a harder, stone-like substance without changing shape. As he worked on his earth powers, Ivy went inside for a drink.

On her way back, beer in hand, she stopped to take look and see how the others were doing. Otto had apparently gone to his workshop, and Gibson was in his lab. Antuari was meditating while Chiro and Sprx monitored Nova as she grappled with a training robot.

Ivy continued on her way outside. Frus was making some pieces of stone swirl around in a spiral. Then, he tried to add something to it. He summoned some metal and had it fly up the center of spiral. However, there was a lot of concentration involved in this, and his spiral became unstable and the rocks flew off in all directions. Some banged off of trees and the side of the Super Robot, and others flew directly at Ivy. She used her telekinesis to catch some of them, but some others crashed into her. They were going very fast, and Ivy was knocked out. Frus ran over to Ivy and tried to wake her up. Gaia tried to help, too, and flew over to the nearest body of water. It ripped up a large amount of the lakebed and gallons of water came with it. You can guess what happened next. Gaia replaced the lakebed while Ivy sputtered and stood up.

"Ivy, are you okay?" asked Frus.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said, while creating some weak flames to dry the water.

"I'm so sorry," said Frus.

"It's all right, it was an accident. Just DON'T TRY THAT AGAIN WITHOUT TELLING ME!" she answered. Frus nodded, then he and Ivy went back inside. It hadn't been that long, but it felt like it.

If they had known what was in store for them, they would have continued training, and gotten as much time in as they could. Hopefully, they'll be ready anyway.


	3. Mega Ouchies

Chapter 3 - Mega Ouchies

It was little after dawn when the alarms went off. It appeared to be a normal Formless attack. The monkeys exited the Super Robot, followed by Ivy and Frus. It would have been easy to destroy Formless with the Robot, but difficult to get a chance to do so, with all of the people running around.

As usual, Nova began punching Formless into pulp, Sprx began blasting them, Antuari used his claws, Otto sliced through them, and Gibson used his drills. Ivy set many formless on fire, and Frus, seeing this as a good chance to test his new power over stone in battle, created waves in the ground that slammed into Formless, crushing them. Soon the battle was over.

"That was easy," said Sprx. "You'd think that there would be a monster or something." No sooner had the words been said than a giant red lightning bolt crashed into a building nearby. The team turned in that direction, only to receive a blast from behind. As the smoke cleared they saw a girl with a giant laser and a battery pack standing there. Across from her, an old man in robes holding a large metal rod walked towards the team. Apparently he had created the lightning.

Just as the team began to split up to attack, another person appeared on each of the two open sides. One wore all black and appeared unarmed, and the other, who seemed to have rotten skin and was wearing rags, held a scythe.

"Gibson, Sprx, attack the girl with the blaster. Nova, Otto, go after the huge man dressed in black. Chiro, you and I will fight the creature with the scythe. Ivy, you and Frus attack the sorcerer!" said Antuari. The team split up and began their separate battles.

Gibson and Sprx dodged the girl's blasts and fired shots of their own. It seemed like a stalemate, until some more formless erupted from the very ground and attacked as well. Nova and Otto jumped at Morgue, who was the huge man in all black, and were simply caught and slammed together repeatedly. Antuari jumped at the zombie he had chosen to fight, and was quickly slashed by its scythe. Chiro used his Chiro Spearo, and landed a direct hit. The burnt flesh didn't even concern the creature, which jammed its blade into Antuari and applied pressure until he stopped moving, then jumped at Chiro. Even though Chiro was far back, it was there almost instantly. It began slashing Chiro, who tried to respond with puches that were effortlessly dodged. It flipped its scythe around and hit Chiro with the handle. The zombie then put Chiro's limp body over its shoulder. Some Formless picked up the shallowly breathing form of Antuari. Frus' power didn't work on the old man's staff, and he and Ivy were zapped by crimson lightning. Ivy started using fireballs, but the old man was remarkably agile, and he easily jumped out of the way. Then Frus created a block of metal that tripped the man, and pulled some stone up from the ground to make a wall, which the man crashed into. Ivy used a huge fireball to take him down. However, she and Frus were now outnumbered. They were knocked out and carried off. The old man was taken away as well.

Upon arrival at the ship, the monkeys and Chiro were placed in a dungeon for Skeleton King to do with them as he pleased. Ivy and Frus were taken to separate cells. Standing on the other side was Rose.

"Hello there, Frussy," she said.

"Let us out of here, now!" yelled Frus.

"Hmm, I'll let you out. And you'll be my mate, Frus!" hissed Rose.

"What! No way!" exclaimed Ivy and Frus.

"You see, you don't really have a choice. If you don't, Morgue gets Ivy," explained Rose. A light appeared over the huge man, who appeared to be pulling the legs off of an insect. When Rose gestured, his zombie friend carried over a squirrel. The man put the poor creature's head into his mouth, crushed its skull, and spat it onto the floor. Ivy and Frus gasped.

"N-No! You can't!" yelled Frus.

"The only way that you can save her is to be mine-forever! As an added bonus, I'll even let her pick a monkey to take with her," said Rose. She had a wide grin on her face.

Frus spoke in a defeated voice, "O-Okay, Rose. Just don't hurt her."

The pink weasel squealed and opened Frus' cell door and dragged him towards a specially prepared bedchamber. Just before she closed the door, she whispered to Morgue, "Torture her. I keep my word, but I never said that she'll be in good condition when she leaves. And after that, you can kill that failure of an old man." The huge man grinned and went towards Ivy's cell.

Does Frus have a plan? Will Ivy be okay? Is Rose really in control? And what will become of the monkeys and Chiro? Find out next time! Now, please review.


	4. Chapter 4

I think I forgot to state that I came up with the mercenaries. Also, thank you Beastfire and 4Evermonkeyfan for your reviews!

Frus: Ivy, how can you be mad at me!

Chapter 4

Upon entering Rose's room, Frus sat down on the carpet. He started to imagine that he was somewhere else, so that he could distance himself from his body. Rose pulled him into a kiss and grabbed his arms, placing them where she wanted them. In Frus' mind, he tried to think of a way out of this. His only option, as far as he could tell, was to take out Rose. But since the weasel was such a good fighter, she could easily signal for help before he could do much. Then, an idea hit him.

Frus snapped back to reality, and realized that he was being dragged towards the bed. Summoning up his willpower, he picked a convincing voice and said, "Don't you want to play around a bit first?"

Rose's eyes lit up and she answered, "Oh, Frus, I knew that you loved me!"

Now that he had bought himself some time, Frus made some metallic liquid bubble up from the corners of the room. The more distracted Rose became, the faster Frus made the liquid flow in.

In the dungeon that the monkeys and Chiro were in, Skeleton King paced back and forth, thinking about what he wanted to do with them. Part of him wanted to take over their minds, and the other part wanted them to suffer. He decided to torture them first, which would make it easier to break their spirits anyway. He called in the fighters that Rose had hired. When only the girl and the zombie showed up, he was surprised.

"What! Where are the others?" he asked.

"I think Morgue said something about pealing the old guy's skin off," said the girl.

"Well, you two, hurt these monkeys, but don't kill them. I have plans for them," said Skeleton King.

The zombie immediately began to bash the monkeys with the handle of its scythe. It made small cuts with the blade as well. The blaster girl just decided to watch the team's pain.

Back in the other cells, Ivy was dreading what this man, Morgue, would do to her. He had decided to kill the old man first, and had sat in front of her as he did it. He had used a small pocket knife to peel off the skin of the man's face. He then pulled a vial of a strange substance from his coat and dripped some onto the man. Ivy had never heard such screams of pain before, and what was worse, Morgue watched it gleefully, and laughed at the man's pain. Eventually, greenish lines spread from the old man's neck and across his body. Then, he stopped moving.

Morgue walked over to Ivy's cell and just ripped it open, not bothering with the keys. Ivy backed up as far as she could. Then, the man's huge hand reached towards her. She quickly jumped out of the way and ran around him. She created some fireballs and began to hurl them at Morgue, but he just kept coming. She tried her pain kinesis, but he seemed to enjoy the sensation. He reached his hand for her again, this time making sure that there was no escape…

In Rose's room, Frus was almost ready to make his move. The liquid continued to fill the room, until it reached Frus and Rose.

"What's that?" asked Rose. No sooner were those words out of her mouth than Frus grabbed her and pulled her into the liquid metal. She took control and pulled him up above the surface. He began to laugh.

"It's over, Rose. That was dimethylmercury!" said Frus. Rose was brilliant when she wanted to be, and she knew that dimethylmercury was very dangerous. Without thinking, she hurried out of the door. Frus slipped out after her and went back to where Ivy was.

When Frus got back, he saw that Morgue had Ivy cornered, and without hesitation he jumped on him, scratching into Morgue's head with his claws. He summoned some metal and began creating sharp objects and making them fly at the man. Ivy summoned some fire and used it to help attack Morgue. For some reason, it didn't seem to help.

"Ivy, I'll hold him off! Try to find Gaia!" said Frus. Ivy nodded and hurried off…only to find the sword close by. Apparently, Rose had gotten sloppy. Ivy brought the sword back and saw Frus being strangled by Morgue. She stuck out with her pain kinesis, but this time, Gaia gave it a supercharge. Morgue began to scream in pain, and eventually, he collapsed.

Back in the dungeon, the zombie, Morgue's partner, suddenly stiffened. It slashed through the cage the monkeys were in and the neck of the girl who had been watching it torture the monkeys. It began to flow though the halls towards where its master was, breaking everything it passed, muttering one work over and over. "Chaos…chaos…"

The monkeys and Chiro, though in serious pain, left the dungeon. They followed the zombie as it went towards its master. And when it found its master they found their friends.

Please review!


	5. The Storm Is Growing

4Evermonkeyfan-Thank you. That's some dream!

Beastfire-Thank you. They do, don't they?

Chapter 5

When Morgue passed out, Frus backed up and leaned on a wall. Now that he had a minute, he dispelled the dimethylmercury from his body by using his powers. Then, he saw Morgue's partner coming up behind Ivy, silently gliding closer. He cried out, and Ivy jumped away from the creature. But it didn't even notice her. It just went and stood over its friend.

Then, the rest of the team showed up. Ivy and Frus were happy to see them. However, this joy was short lived. As shrieking laugh filled the room, and Rose appeared in the doorway with three figures standing behind her. She stepped forward and they followed her, and were revealed to be Saga and two humanoid cabbits. The cabbits had black, oily fur and wore loose-fitting armor. They were obviously twins. They both carried wooden staffs.

"Did you think that you had me beaten? Ha ha ha, my dear frustrated Frus, Saga here ran through each possible scenario and advised me to keep some fighters in reserve, so that if you did escape, they would be fresh and ready to fight!" shrieked Rose. "Now, you two, take care of Frus' wench!"

The cabbits jumped at Ivy and began batting her with their weapons. They were moving so quickly that it was difficult to see them, and they struck her on all sides. Frus moved to help, when Rose revealed her own sword. It was glowing the same color as the lines that had covered the old man when Morgue used his poison on him. Frus and Rose began to fight, and Frus yelled to the monkeys and Chiro to help Ivy. They were tired and injured, but they complied. Chiro used his Thunder Punch and when the cabbits dodged, they were separated. The monkeys split up to attack each one in groups of three. However, Ivy lay bruised and bleeding, and Frus was being pushed back.

Saga stood watching Rose and Frus fight. Although normally Frus could defeat Rose in a swordfight, he was tired and somewhat injured, while Rose was at more than 100. The sword she held pulsed power into her, making her faster and stronger, and also making her crazy. It was like some sort of opiate; soon Rose didn't even use styles, she simple slashed over and over with incredible force. It took everything Frus had to block the attacks. And soon, even that wasn't enough. Gaia did its best to help Frus summon metal and shield him, but deep gashes were cut into his arms and sides. Eventually, he collapsed.

The monkey team was faring little better. The cabbits were highly skilled, and in the team's weakened state, they had little chance. Except for Antuari and Chiro, they had all passed been knocked out. However, they refused to surrender. Chiro used the last of his strength and summoned the Inner Primate. This caught the two cabbits by surprise. Had they been prepared, they still would have won. Chiro took advantage of their hesitation, and grabbed both of them by their heads. Feeling his power slipping away, he slammed them together as hard as he could. He then passed out from exhaustion. This left Antuari alone against Rose and Saga.

Suddenly, Saga lunged forwards. But it wasn't Antuari who he attacked. It was Rose. His hands flew through her several times. She looked up at him with confusion in her eyes. He grinned and spoke to her.

"Ah, my dear, the master, Skeleton King, reprogrammed me, and upgraded me. Even now, his armies are attacking Shuggazoom. I will join them soon. Hopefully, when those filthy primates and their pets awaken with their home in ruins, they'll join the master. You, however, have outlived your usefulness," explained Saga. His voice was raspy and metallic, with some clicks mixed in. He kicked Rose in the face, and she flew back into a wall. She coughed up some blood, and died. Then, Saga placed his palms close together and formed an energy ball. He hurled it at Morgue's zombie friend, who had been standing there, silent and out of the way. It was immediately incinerated. Just before he left, he jabbed at Antuari, sending him flying into a wall.

Please review!


	6. Hope Lives

4Evermonkeyfan-Thank you! Enjoy the chapter!

Beastfire-Thank you! Ivy, read the last paragraph of the last chapter again. Enjoy!

Chapter 6-Hope Lives

Morgue, forgotten assassin, awoke amid the unconscious forms of the monkeys, the cabbits, Chiro, Frus, and Ivy. He saw the corpse of Rose on the floor nearby, but thought little of it. Then, he saw a heap of organic matter and dust on the ground next to him. It took only a moment for him to confirm that it was his friend. Holding back tears, he reached down and grabbed an amulet from what remained of the body. He then closed his eyes, and allowed the events that he had missed to replay in his mind. He then sat down and began to sing a song he had learned long ago. He whispered the lyrics and the sound was lost, but the chorus echoed hauntingly.

Helloooooooooo

Mr. Man in the Moon!

Can you tell me what you see?

Maybe then I'll know

What I'm meant to do

And what this world wants from me…

Eventually, Ivy came to and woke up Frus and then the others. Everyone was badly injured. When Antuari told them what had happened, they began to fall into despair. Then Morgue stood up and held up his amulet. Light flooded from it and over the team. Many of their more devastating wounds began to heal, and they felt rested and ready to strike back.

"I know that I don't usually do this, but I'm going to aid you in your battle," said Morgue. No one wanted to argue with him. "You two, the rabbit-cat things, you're helping too," he continued. They "happily" complied.

Morgue led the way to where Skeleton King stored his extra ships. All they found was a small, cramped shuttle, but at that moment they were happy to take it. Morgue, luckily, knew enough access code to get them out unnoticed.

Unfortunately, Morgue also chose to drive. The ship basically knifed through the atmosphere and straightened out at the last second. The team exited, and were met with a painful sight.

The city was burning. Formless moved through it spread so thick that it looked like a giant had spilled ink. And brazenly standing on the Super Robot was Saga.

"We have to defeat that monster!" said Chiro.

"Not to mention the unbelievable army of monsters at his command," added Ivy.

"Well, let's get to it!" yelled Frus. He then summoned his Phoenix Talons. He grabbed Gaia with his now gloved hand, and the blade began to glow red.

"Wait, Frus, we need a plan to defeat that man enemies!" said Antuari.

"Oh, I have a plan!" he responded. "You and Chiro go after Saga. The rest of us will attack the Formless. You know that there's little else that we can do now. We're out of time!"

Antuari nodded and set out, Chiro with him. Then, everyone else began to attack Formless. They fought as hard as they ever had, using their most powerful attacks, cutting through the monsters. But it seemed to do nothing to the overall numbers.

Meanwhile, Antuari and Chiro had been jumping from rooftop to rooftop on their way to the Super Robot. They fought as little as possible, keeping their minds on battling Saga. Eventually, they reached him.

"Fools. You think that you can defeat me!" said Saga. He then charged his hands with energy and jumped at Antuari, who activated his claws and met Saga . The two began to grapple. Chiro used his Chiro Spearo attack, but Saga blocked the attack-with Antuari. He then threw the black monkey off somewhere and turned to fight Chiro. Chiro summoned the Inner Primate and punched Saga. Saga summoned a ball of energy and threw it at Chiro. Chiro knocked it back at Saga. He caught green fire and began thrashing. He went into a wild frenzy and attacked Chiro much harder than before.

Lying face down on the ground next to the Super Robot, Antuari reluctantly signaled the other monkeys for help. He wasn't sure that they would be able to get away from the Formless, though.

The monkeys heard all right, and nothing would keep them from helping. They began to turn towards the Super Robot, Frus, Ivy, and Morgue following their lead. Eventually, they were able to make it to the foot of the Robot, where Gibson lifted Antuari and helped him climb back to the top.

When everyone reached the head of the Super Robot, they say Chiro knocked out with Saga preparing a finishing blow. Nova jumped at him and punched him as hard as she could, diverting his attention. He saw that the monkeys were gathered together, and with his injuries from fighting Chiro, he knew that he couldn't defeat them.

"Come to me formless! Bond with me, that we may finish this!" yelled Saga. He jumped from the Super Robot and was caught by a growing mass of black ooze. He began to fuse with this ooze, forming a giant, black, robotic, spider-like body. It towered over the Super Robot.

While it was forming, Ivy used her hydro kinesis to awaken Chiro. He and the monkeys activated the Super Robot; even though Saga's new form was much larger, it was their only chance.

Ivy, Frus, and Morgue stood atop the Super Robot, so that they could use their powers to attack the monster. Then, Morgue whispered something to Frus.

"Mongoose, I have a plan. Bring you fancy sword and come with me. It's a perilous mission, but it's our best chance. However, your little girlfriend will be in danger," said Morgue.

"I can't allow that, Morgue," said Frus.

"Then, you know what you have to do," said Morgue. Frus did. He knew that Ivy wasn't the type to sit around and be rescued. He closed his eyes, muttered the words "Forgive me," and hit her with the flat of his sword, knocking her out. He carried her inside, set her down, and returned to the outside of the Robot.

"Let's go," said Morgue.


	7. Last Stand

Thank you, Beastfire! And Ivy, just as long as you know, okay! I hope that you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 7- Last Stand

"Let's go," said Morgue. Ultra Saga raised an arm and lashed out at the Super Robot. Morgue jumped over to the spider-like robot and Frus followed suit. They found an exhaust valve and entered.

"Lazatron Fury!" yelled Chiro. The Super Robot fired a massive blast from its chest. Saga stepped back, but seemed undamaged. He struck out again, charging his front hands with energy. The Super Robot shook, awakening Ivy.

"Huh…huh, what? Wait, Frus! Frus, why!" Ivy was touched that Frus had cared so much about protecting her, but enraged that he had left her behind. However, she knew that if she went after him and Morgue, there was a chance that she would mess up their plan. She got up, rubbed the back of her head, and went back to the outside of the Super Robot. She knew that the best thing for the situation was to help blast Sage, so she threw everything she had at him. Fire, water, more fire, more water, and whatever random stuff she could lift with her telekinesis flew at Saga. The Super Robot fired another Lazatron Fury, and this one seemed to do a lot more damage. Saga began firing mouth blasts.

Back with Frus and Morgue, they were having trouble breathing; the fumes in the giant monster robot's vents were toxic, and even synchronizing their breathing with pauses didn't work that well. It was incredibly hot, as well, but they continued moving. Eventually, they reached Saga's energy core. It was very solid, but Morgue seemed to have a plan. He asked Frus for the sword. The large man chanted some archaic spell, and light shone from Gaia and Saga's core. It spread out in all directions, ripping through Saga's body. It grew brighter, and burned Frus' flesh. It broke from Saga's body and began to cover the nearby area. The monkeys and Chiro, inside the Super Robot, were safe. However, Ivy wasn't inside.

The light cleared, and Saga, in a third form, one like that of an organic being, floated near the ground. Across from him was another new being. It stood six feet, and had gray fur, claws, and a tail. It was Frus and Morgue, fused together! Floating high above the ground between them was Ivy, in some sort of stasis. In the combination being's mind, Frus and Morgue were having an argument.

'You said that Ivy would be safe if I put her inside!' said Frus.

'I said no such thing. And even so, she couldn't have been inside during the flash of light. You didn't hit her hard enough. Apparently, love kept you from doing what needed to be done. If you want to save her, we have to win this fight!' said Morgue.

'Then let's do this!' said Frus. The combined form drew twin swords, one glowing white light and the other radiating shadows. Saga formed a scythe out of his energy and ran at Moru (I have to call him something, right?). Moru countered by blocking with the sword of light and attacking with the sword of shadows. Saga slashed him across the chest, bt Moru kicked him so that he flew back wards. Then Moru jumped at him, only to be blasted back by Saga. Saga unsheathed his claws and rushed at Moru. Moru blocked with both swords, holding back Saga attack. Then he spun, tail whipping Saga. Saga flew back once more. Moru crossed his swords , then swiped them both forwards. A silver-gray x flew towards Saga. The monster caught it, but it kept pushing it back. Then, it detonated, defeating Saga.

Everything seemed to fade from existence, and when it returned, Frus and Morgue were separate again. Ivy floated down towards the ground, and Frus caught her. Saga, still in his new form, fled. It was as if he simply disappeared into the shadows.

Morgue began preparing himself to leave, when Frus, still carrying Ivy, walked over to him.

"So, you're leaving," said Frus.

"There's no one here that I need to kill," said Morgue.

"I guess you wouldn't consider joining us, huh?" asked Frus.

"Ha ha ha, no, I'm going to go back to wandering. I like it; it suits me," answered Morgue.

Frus had one last question. "Who are you, really?"

Morgue laughed again. "Just think of me as the angel of death. Neither good nor evil, but out there," he said. He then took a new amulet from his coat. Frus didn't get a good look at it, but it was sure different. Morgue whispered something, and his body began to glow. Then, he jumped, flying off to endless space.

Then, Ivy woke up.

(I'm pretty sure this counts as a cliffhanger.)

Uhh...can anyone give me some ideas for the next chapter? He he he...


	8. Aftermath

Beastfire- Thank you for you review, and the ideas. I'll email you about the second one.

Frus: I'll save you, Ivy!

Me: How?

Frus: ……Write the next chapter, hurry!

Me: I'm working on it.

4Evermonkeyfan-Thank you! If Frus were human…hmmm…Probably an ebony skinned Adonis with long, thick, silver hair, elven ears, and crimson eyes.

Frus: I lucked out with bosses!

Saga: Adriana, do you really want to be in a story where I'm still loose?

Me: -Sends Saga back to his hiding place- We'll talk, as soon as I get enough time to read you story (I really don't have time to write this right now, I just am anyway).

Chapter 8-Aftermath

Ivy woke up, jumped out of Frus' arms, and landed on her feet. She looked at him with an angry expression.

"Frus, why would you leave me behind?" asked Ivy.

"Ivy, it was for you. I didn't want you to get hurt!" said Frus.

"So, you didn't think that I could handle it!" she asked.

"No, that's not it; I wasn't sure that I would survive, either! I wanted to protect you if I could!" said Frus.

"Frus, I don't need you to protect me!" yelled Ivy. She then smacked him really hard. As Frus was waiting for his eyes to uncross, he noticed how little that was compared to what she could do if she really didn't want to forgive him.

"Frus, you're going to have to make this up to me," said Ivy. Frus nodded, and began to summon some metal to make a ladder down to the ground. "Wait, Frus, get some sleep first. Look, the monkeys and Chiro are." Frus happily complied, while Ivy watched TV.

Meanwhile, Saga had returned to the Citadel of Bone. He stood before the Skeleton King, who gazed at him silently. Finally, Skeleton King spoke.

"Saga, you have failed me. You have wasted all of my Formless. I will give you another chance, however. For now, go get some rest," said Skeleton King. Saga bowed and went off to find a place to sleep, as he was indeed tired.

Mandarin was confused. "Master, why did you show such mercy on him?" he asked.

"Simple. He managed to destroy more than half of the city. Even if the monkeys managed to save the people, their defenses won't be back up to maximum before I can replace my Formless," answered Skeleton King.

Back in the Super Robot, Frus was waking up. He grabbed Gaia and snuck outside. He went off to the most ruined part of the town and lifted the sword. Metal began to flow up from the ground, building the framework for new buildings. Then, Frus felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Ivy.

"Do you need some help?" she asked. Frus began to draw up stone from outside the city. When it reached them, Ivy used her telekinesis to help shape it into bricks and put the bricks into place.

Hmm…I really can't think of what should happen next. But Ivy and Frus aren't really fighting or anything, right? So it's okay if I stop now. Right?

Frus: We need to save Ivy first!

Me: Okay. -Summons many of the creatures from DemiKids- The Cuteness Overwhelms You! You Will Hug These Creatures Instead!


	9. Eye of the Storm

Beastfire-Thank you for reviews and the idea.

4Evermonkeyfan-Thank you for the review.

Chapter 9-Crossing Through the Eye

"Master?" began Saga. Aboard the Citadel of Bone, he knelt before the throne of Skeleton King.

"Yes, yes, Saga, what is it?" prompted Skeleton King.

"Master, I am working on the beginnings of a new plan to capture Shuggazoom for you, but I must seek the council of one more familiar with, uh, Light Magic, sir," began Saga.

"LIGHT MAGIC! Why would you need to understand that type. I am a master of both anima and the dark forces! I can provide magic if it will deliver the monkeys to me!" shouted Skeleton King.

"I-I am sorry, master, it-it's just that my plan involves deception, and light magic would give it away far too easily. That is why I ask you, my master, for a ship and some time away for your constant sight, so that I may pursue a user of Light Magic?"

"And why must I stop monitoring you?" asked Skeleton King coolly.

"You-you see, Master, it would be most difficult to trick a Light Mage with an aura of dark magic hovering around me, e-even one made by such a subtle and skillful master as yourself," stuttered Saga.

Skeleton King mused over this, then decided that Saga's argument did make sense. It wasn't as if the creature could be working against him, anyway. Finally, he spoke, "Yes, I suppose I can allow you these things. The Formless will prepare a ship for you."

"Thank you, master, I shall not fail you," praised Saga. He wore a relieved smile as he walked away. However, as soon as he was out of Skeleton King's throne room, the grin disappeared.

'That senile old bag of bones! If only that stupid program had vanished when I took on my new, organic form. But no, it had to integrate with my aura, and now I am forced to obey him still! As soon as I gain my freedom, I will destroy him,' thought Saga. Then he returned to his room, and began to muse over his short history. 'Well, maybe not first. First, I will take my revenge. And if I can't find Morgue, I'll just have to make that pitiful little mongoose suffer for two. Maybe I'll make him watch as I pick apart his little girlfriend. I'm sure she'll make a fine meal.' He sat down against a wall and began to laugh gently.

That's all I got for now!

Frus: Dude, you're SICK!

Me: Hey, it could be worse. -Whispers something-

Frus: Yeah, that would be worse.

Me: Hmm…now I need a Light Magic User forSaga to dupe…


	10. Chapter 10

4Evermonkeyfan-Thank you! (Oh, I do hope that I don't mess this up.) Enjoy!

Frus: Hello Adriana! I'm glad that you show such enthusiasm in a temp job for this lunatic.

Me: Now, here's your complementary muffin and some soap.

Adriana: Soap?

Me: Trust me. You're going to need it later.

Beastfire-Frus: We've got to help Ivy!

Me: Dude, I'm like half asleep, do what you want.

Frus: -Rushes off to help Ivy-

Saga: -Crunching bones in his teeth- Fear and sorrow are great seasonings. Not that bones aren't tasty by themselves. And I heard a recipe where one dumps sauce on a small creature and feel them squirm down one's throat. I hear it's a favorite of snake people. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Me: Now he's starting to freak me out. I'd better start the story.

Adriana belongs to 4Evermonkeyfan.

Chapter 10-Storm Rages

Once Saga's ship was prepared, some Formless came to his quarters to escort him to the hanger. He donned a coat and went with them. It was a small, one man craft, just the kind Saga would expect Skeleton King to get for him. He boarded the ship and lifted off.

Once in space, and far enough away from the Citadel of Bone to keep Skeleton King's magic from interfering, he placed his hand on a control panel and let his will flow into the circuitry of the ship. The scanners that would usually help him to follow enemy vapor trails (is that what they're called?) instead warped and twisted. They became magic scanners, which he set to Light Type and activated. A flood of information came directly to Saga's mind.

"Hmm…the most powerful user of the purer magics in this sector is named Adriana. She is currently right here in Shuggazoom. I believe I'll pay her a visit," said Saga.

As his ship was not made of bone or in any other way easily distinguishable as one of Skeleton King's, Saga decided to simply land inside the city, as any other traveler. He filled out the paper work and started into the city, making sure to keep his face hidden.

'Before I visit this girl, I should try to do something about the way that I look,' thought Saga. He stopped at a grocery store and went over to the magazine rack. He watched as various people read through their favorite magazines. Eventually, he noticed that every girl who entered seemed to take a glance at the cover of one particular periodical and sigh. Saga decided to take a look. On the cover was a picture of some handsome actor.

'Females seem to like males who look like this…' thought Saga. He studied the picture, then left the building. He walked into an alley and looked around. Seeing that no one was watching, he began to use his dark powers on himself. He needed to both change his appearance and hide his powers. However, he couldn't just copy the image he saw. He began to rip and alter his flesh, changing it so that he was on the same level as the man in the picture, but looked different. Also, he left his hair bushy and silver, and his eyes deepest crimson. The process was extremely painful, and Saga was not surprised when he passed out.

A few hours later, Saga awoke in a strange room. He groaned and got to his feet.

"Hello. I found you in an alleyway, out cold. I trust you're feeling better?" a woman spoke as she came into the room.

"Uh…thank…you? If I may ask, what time is it? I have to meet someone," said Saga.

"It's about five o'clock. So, who are you going to meet? Let me guess-she's a girl, right?" said the woman.

"Yes, she is. I need to go now. Goodbye, miss…" began Saga.

"Oh, call me Alexandra. And you should stay a while. I can't let you go see a girl dressed like that," said the woman.

"I couldn't impose," said Saga.

"Don't be silly. You have on a tattered trench coat and an old shirt and pants. Not too impressive," said Alexandra. She then led Saga upstairs to a blue room that obviously hadn't seen use in a while.

"This is my son's room. He's a head taller than you are, so these clothes that he outgrew should fit you fine. I meant to give them away, but I never got around to it. In case you're wondering, he went off to college on some planet called Earth," explained Alexandra. Saga simply nodded and allowed her to explain how he should dress. She gave him semi-dress clothes and sent him on his way. Just before he left, he put a mark on her forehead.. It was painless and would be invisible to all but him.

'I'll have to make sure not to kill her,' thought Saga. He then went to find this Adriana. When he finally caught up to her, she was in a restaurant owned by an organization connected with some hotel. She was very beautiful; Saga felt something he never had before. 'I guess that I really am a male,' he thought. He then walked over to the girl.

"Excuse me, are you…Adriana?" asked Saga.

"Why, yes, I am, and you are…?" asked Adriana.

"I am Rand. I am a bit of a Jack of all trades, and I was looking for some help with a job," said Saga.

"I don't know who you think you are, but I am NOT some kind of mercenary and-" Adriana stopped when she saw how handsome Saga looked. He decided to use her hesitation to smooth things out.

'Oh, no, that's not what I meant at all. It's just that I need the power of light magic for a special purpose. Don't worry, it isn't anything illegal, but it is a little private. Maybe I could tell you later, when there are fewer people around? You know that I know that I can't try anything," said Saga.

"Um, maybe…oh, here's my food. Please, sit with me. Maybe you can tell me some more about yourself," said Adriana as a waiter came over to her table. The waiter asked Saga if he wanted anything, and he simply asked for some water. He and Adriana talked for a while; Saga had prepared a story, and he was able to fill in any holes quickly. Such are the perks of having a computer-like mind. Adriana agreed to meet him there later to discuss his problem.

A while later, Adriana returned -- Saga hadn't moved in the first place. It was near closing time, and there were only a few people around.

"Adriana, you see, I need you to use your magic to release me from servitude. There is an evil power mingled with my aura, and I am bound by it to do the bidding of a dark master. The only thing allowing me to be here is that he can think of no tasks for me at the moment. Your power is my only hope," said Saga.

"Oh, Rand, I will help you. All you had to do was ask. Hindering the plans of the forces of evil is reason enough," said Adriana. "Now, kneel down."

Saga did as he was told. Adriana placed her hands on his forehead, and he once again felt the strange emotion from when he had first laid eyes on her. Adriana began to speak in an arcane tongue and pure white energy began to surround both her and Saga.

After a short while, it was done. Saga felt as if shackles had been removed from him. He stood up to see a beaming Adriana.

"Thank you," said Saga. As he spoke, his voice returned to normal, as did his body (still not bad, but it's creepy). His left eyes faded away, leaving his face as it was originally. Dark energy began to well up in his body. Several waiters, who had been watching the magic, as they didn't often get to see it being performed, gasped. This was a mistake, as it brought Saga's attention. He quickly floated over to them and messily ripped through all but one, splattering blood everywhere. She prepared an attack, but it seemed to fizzle out as it neared Saga's dark aura.

Author's note: I think that I need to pause here. I'm not saying that Adriana is weak or anything, it's just that well… Hmm, how to explain. Have you ever played Zelda? If so, you probably remember Link and Ganon, and the Master Sword and Triforce. (WARNING: The following may contain spoilers.) And maybe also light arrows. You see, even if you started the game with the skill to fight Ganon, you'd still lose. He has the Triforce of Power. However, since he's evil, the Master Sword, the Blade of Evil's Bane, is the perfect weapon for fighting him. And even with it, you probably need some special arrows to pierce his armor. I'm not sure if that holds true for all of the games with Ganon, but I'm pretty sure that it's true of at least two. Saga is extremely powerful. Where did that power come from? It doesn't really matter, he has it now. So desperate measures must be taken to defeat him. In fact, the process that gave him some of the power in the first place may be what defeated him the first time (as in he got stronger as a side effect, but the heroes had no choice, or no time to check). Adriana might best him later, but as for now, especially since she wasn't ready, he can defeat her. Also, consider how much energy the healing spell must have taken. (NOTE: Spoiler warning over.) Now, back to the action.

Saga went over to Adriana and grabbed her shoulders. "Thank you," he hissed. He then began to laugh hysterically. When he calmed down, he looked at her with a perverted expression. He then licked her cheek slowly. When his mouth neared her ear, he whispered, "My dear, I can't thank you enough for freeing me to do as I please, and not have to listen to Skeleton King's orders. I will not kill you, and I'll even give you a few days to get your family underground where they can hide! I'll see you then!" He released her, cackling again. He then faded into the shadows.

And that's it for now.

Adriana: Must…wash…

Me: I told you you'd need it. The bathroom's that way. Now, I must ask, how was that, and what would Adriana do next?

Saga: -Rushes past with something in his hands-

Me: That was a video camera, wasn't it?

Frus: -Nods-

Me: -Grabs Saga and drags him back-


	11. Say wha?

Okay, I know that I'm not supposed to put an author's note as a separate chapter, but I need to ask a question. That question is directed at 4Evermonkeyfan and Adriana. And that question is, what in the name of Davy Crockett's sweat-stained buck skins are you talking about? Saga morphed himself to fool you and use your magic to free himself from Skeleton King's control. He does have some feelings that he does not yet understand, and I'm not sure if that's going to matter later, but right now he's pretty much evil. And also, since he was created, he's technically a number of weeks old.

Seriously, I can't continue writing until I understand this. I am really confused, and I'm not sure about the reactions next chapter. I was going to have the Hyper Force show up and I'm not sure ifthere should be fear because it seems that a devastating power was upon the world, or ifthe teamshould be trying to come up with a plan to stop Saga without killing him, because good or confusion was sensed during the healing. Also, please tell me what would have been correct for the fight scene, since I have more in mind in things keep going the way that they're going. Thank you. Also, while we're on the topic, I'm sorry for the parts that I messed up on.

Also, to Ivy and Beastfire: Thank you for the review. You know Frus won't let that happen.


	12. Chapter 11

I just decided to go ahead and write the next chapter.

Saga: -munching on a bone- It's about time.

Me: Where do you keep getting these bones?

Saga: Do you _really_ want to know?

Me: Probably not.

Chapter 11

Saga floated inside the void of shadows, thinking about the days events. He had gained his freedom, and could attack Frus whenever he wished. He could take over Skeleton King's Citadel of Bone and the Formless armies, and he could just start destroying Shuggazoom. The problem was, part of him didn't want to anymore.

'It must be that light magic…Maybe if I kill that female, I'll go back to normal,' thought Saga. 'One thing is certain. I will get my revenge.'

Back at the Super Robot, the team was trying to come up with a plan.

"I can't think of anything strong enough to hurt Saga if Adriana's spells won't work," said Gibson.

"Then we need to try to find something," said Adriana. "Maybe we can find some books on magic somewhere in Shuggazoom."

"I'm not sure that there will be much left after Saga's last attack. Some of you should come with me; I'm going to try to find something on Ordendrae," said Frus.

"I'll go with you," said Ivy.

"Okay, Gibson, you go, too. We'll meet back at the Super Robot in three days," said Chiro. "We don't have much time -- go!" Ivy, Frus, and Gibson hurried off and found a ship. Meanwhile, the rest of the team searched Shuggazoom.

Now, I won't go into detail about the search, because it would be boring and I want to move on to the next part. However, each group came back with one book that seemed to contain information on something strong enough to help. It turned out to be the same power. Known only as the Shining Power, it was supposed to reside deep in an outer dimensional shrine from which only the greatest of heroes could retrieve it. The only way to the shrine was to decipher a magical puzzle, hidden on an asteroid.

"We have to go find that power!" said Chiro.

"You're right, Chiro, but what if Saga attacks while we're gone? He have to-" Antuari was cut off by a huge earthquake. Otto ran to the computer to see what was going on. On the screen was a giant creature, rising up from the earth. It was shaped like a Lindorm, but it had silver hair and only one eye -- its right eyes, which was red.

"It's Saga! He must have transformed again!" said Otto.

"Monkeys Mobilize!" yelled Chiro. Everyone went to their proper places, and the Super Robot began to move to attack the monstrous Saga. However, he turned towards the Super Robot and his now serpentine face seemed to grin. He fired a blast of energy from his mouth, which struck the Super Robot, powering-down all of its systems.

"Frus!" yelled Saga. "I will destroy everyone unless you come out here and fight me!"

Frus immediately went to the door of the Super Robot, where Ivy was waiting for him.

"I'm going with you. No arguments," she said. The two of them exited the Super Robot, calling to the team to go try to find the Shining Power.

"Chiro, Gibson, Nova, come with me. The rest of you, search for the power," commanded Antuari. The two groups went in different directions. Otto began to work on the Robot's systems, and soon got one Fist Rocket working. Sprx was piloting; Otto and Adriana got in and the Fist Rocket shot off, headed towards the current location of the asteroid mentioned in the Shining Power story. The others joined Frus and Ivy in the fight against Saga.

Okay, I know that I messed up this chapter. I figured out that my original idea for the next part wouldn't make sense, so I had to alter it. Hopefully it'll come together next chapter.


	13. Chapter 12

Beastfire-Thank you!

Frus: Okay, Ivy.

Saga: -whispering to himself- Hmm…both in the same place at the same time…

Chapter 12

Otto, Sprx, and Adriana landed on a huge asteroid. They began a hurried search of the surface, and soon discovered a plaque. There were letters written on it, but they were in no real order, and in fact, many were at odd angles or upside-down.

"How are we supposed to figure this thing out?" asked Otto. Sprx began to look at the sides of the plaque and the surrounding area. He quickly found a mathematic equation.

"I guess this has something to do with it," said Sprx. Adriana looked at it, then waved her hand over the plaque. Light copies of the letters appeared over the letters appeared in the air. Adriana straightened them , but grouped them based on how they were originally. Then, the three of them began to study the equation and compare it to the letters. Eventually, they came up with a strange assortment of words.

"It must be some sort of chant," said Adriana. She spoke the words an a gateway appeared. She, Otto, and Sprx stepped through and found themselves in a dimly lit temple. There were carvings on the walls which depicted a group of heroes fighting a dark shadow. In one picture, the smallest male began to glow and he attacked the shadow. However, the story was unfinished.

In Shuggazoom City, a desperate fight was occurring. It seemed that nothing could defeat Saga, or even harm him. The only chance any of them had was that the Shining Power, whatever it was, would be strong enough. Saga's attention was focused on Frus and Ivy, and he fired strange blast of energy at them and slashed with his claws. Antuari and the others attacked whenever they had the chance, which was often since Saga's new huge and sinuous form was coiled around many buildings. It was this distraction that saved Frus and Ivy.

Back in the temple, Adriana led Sprx and Otto towards the central chamber. When they reached it, they saw that it was a deep indoor pool with an alter rising from it, near the back. Torches that burned green fire rested in holders on the walls.

"So I guess that we just swim over there, huh?" asked Otto. No sooner had the words escaped his lips than a huge snake-like had erupted from the water, followed by two smaller ones. All three heads were trained on Adriana, Otto, and Sprx.

"Who are you that think that you deserve to wield the power that I have guarded for centuries?" bellowed the creature.

"We are from Shuggazoom. We need the power to defeat an evil that plagues us," said Sprx.

"I will give you the same chance to prove yourself that I have given to every other who has come to claim the power. If you want it, _take it!_" hissed the beast. It then struck out with all three of its heads. It began biting at the heroes and blowing ice blasts.

Using their individual powers, they defeated the two weaker heads and injured the main head. The middle head reached back and grabbed something in its mouth. It went deep into the murky water, dragging the unconscious heads with it, and the room seemed to dim.

Otto dove in, followed by Adriana and Sprx. After what seemed like a very long time, Adriana broke the surface, carrying Otto and Sprx. Clutched in Otto's hand was a small glowing orb.


	14. Chapter 13

Beastfire-Thank you! Enjoy the chapter!

Frus: (coming back, early in the morning) Hey, boss!

Me: Frus, I trust that you enjoyed yourself. Now hurry, get ready for the chapter. Makeup!

Frus: Makeup? Since when do we-

Random makeup artist: Hurry up, sir, you're late! -Picks up Frus-

Frus: Put me down!

Saga: (In a chair with certain parts of his face being painted black to look scary) Shut up and go with it!

4Evermonkeyfan-Thank you! I'm glad that I didn't mess anything up. Enjoy!

Frus: (fur now really shiny) Are we ready yet?

Me: Sure, now, places! And action!

Chapter 13

In Shuggazoom City, Saga had KO'd Antuari, Chiro, Nova, and Ivy. Frus was standing in front of Ivy's unconscious form with Gaia holding him up, and preparing to make his last stand when the Fist Rocket broke through the clouds. It began to fire missiles at Saga's monstrous form, distracting the giant creature. It flew low over where Frus was and Adriana and Otto jumped out; Adriana softened her and Otto's landings using her magic.

Upon landing, Otto opened his hands, revealing the glowing orb from the temple. While Sprx ran distraction in the Fist Rocket, Adriana healed Frus. Then, she took the orb from Otto and held it over the mongoose's head.

"Shouldn't you be healing the others?" asked Frus.

"I will, of course, but right now, you are the only one who can fight Saga," said Adriana. She then began to chant a spell, and the orb became a wave of light, which lowered into Frus' forehead.

"Go!" yelled Otto. He didn't need to tell Frus twice. He rushed forwards, going at at least three times the speed of his normal maximum. He jumped at Saga, who was still trying to attack Sprx in the Fist Rocket, and struck. Gaia sliced cleanly through Saga's coiled body, and the gash began to glow a golden color. Saga screamed in pain, but his facial expression soon became a calm mask once more. He let the top of his body simply fall away, and the rest began to vanish. As what was left fell, Saga returned to his humanoid form. He caught himself with his energy and faced Frus.

As Saga hovered before him, Frus jumped lightly into the air. In a flash of light, golden wings sprouted from his back. Frus began to rush at Saga. Saga followed suit, covering himself with dark energy and flying at Frus. The two crashed and bounced backwards, but Saga bounced further and crashed into a building.

Saga shook his head and placed his palms together. A giant blast of dark energy raged forwards. Frus folded his new wings around himself and took the full hit. He then rushed forwards through the energy, which hid his actions from Saga. Frus crashed into his enemy with Gaia held before him. However, it was only a glancing blow. Saga flung his arm out, knocking Frus into a building, which collapsed onto him. But Saga knew that Frus could get out within moments. He began to look around for something to aid him, and he saw Adriana healing the rest of the team. He rushed over and grabbed up a newly conscious Ivy.

"Hey, put me down right now!" said Ivy. She struggled and used her powers, but Saga took no notice.

"Saga!" said Adriana. Despite himself, Saga looked at her and she continued. "You don't want to do this, Saga! I know that there's good in you!"

"Fool girl, what would you know of it? I was born of the darkness in the heart of an evil creature, so how could my spirit be anything other than as black as coal?" asked Saga.

"Who cares who created you? What matters is what you do with your life!" responded Adriana. Saga was becoming confused, but his revenge was within sight. He knew that whether Frus surrendered to save Ivy or watched her die before his eyes, vengeance would be his.

The rubble covering Frus scattered and he held Gaia ready. He began to advance towards Saga when he saw what was in his hand.

"Frus! Surrender or she dies!" yelled Saga. Frus froze where he stood.

"Frus, destroy him while you have the chance! You know what will happen if you don't!" screamed Ivy.

"Put down your sword!" said Saga. Frus placed Gaia on the ground and folded his wings.

"Frus, no!" yelled Ivy. Then, she noticed that Saga seemed distracted. She swung her body and delivered a kick to him, with strength added from all of her powers. You know good and well where she hit him. Even on Saga, _that_ was enough pain to make him drop her. However, after just a moment he regained his composure. Looking up towards Frus again, he saw that the mongoose was gone. He searched for him and saw a golden dot, high up in the sky.

"CELESTIAL STRIKE!" Frus yelled. He fell from the clouds with Gaia held before him and the Shining Power adding to his strength. He came down so quickly that it was if he had teleported. Gaia crashed through Saga's body and glowing energy flowed through him, ripping the dark energy from his body. Frus landed, clearly tired from the energy used up in the attack. Then, the dark energy began to come together, and take on a shape.

"The shadow! The shadow from the story!" exclaimed Adriana.

"Saga wasn't the monster! It was inside him, giving him that colossal strength and evil!" said Otto.

"We have to help Frus! If Saga was just a puppet, think how strong that thing could be!" said Ivy.

"How strong indeed. I have long desired to stretch my muscles after Skeleton King freed me, but I was told that it would interfere with his plans. But now, I can exercise my full strength by destroying all of you!" yelled the shadow. Meanwhile, Saga lay in pain on the ground beneath where this new creature floated.

And-cut! That's all for right now! Just a quick note, does everyone remember that "upgrade" Skeleton King gave Saga?


	15. Chapter 14

Beastfire-Thank you! I hope that you enjoy this chapter, too!

Chapter 14

Antuari activated his claws and jumped at the shadow creature. He slashed it across its chest area, and the creature grunted slightly. Antuari jumped at it again, but this time, he was caught and pumped with dark energy, knocking him out immediately. Gibson used his Spin Shocker and Sprx the Magna Tingler Blast, but both seemed to wash over the creature without doing any damage.

"For a shadow, that thing sure is solid!" said Sprx. The shadow shot a blast of energy, sending Sprx into a wall, which collapsed onto him. It then grabbed Gibson and twisted his neck; Gibson's body went limp. Nova used her fists to attack, but the shadow creature dodged by floating upwards and responded with sphere of dark energy. Otto tried to use his saws, but it was as if he was trying to use a butter knife on diamond. Before the shadow could attack him, however, Otto got out of the way.

Ivy began to throw fireballs at the shadow, but they seemed to stop in midair. The shadow mentally reached out and grabbed her, pulling her towards it.

"Dear girl, I have been jamming your powers since the beginning. Do you really think that they'll affect me now?" hissed the shadow. Suddenly, a wave of golden energy crashed into it. The shadow beast turned around to see Frus, who was charging for another blast.

The shadow creature began to charge its own energy to fire a blast at Frus, when it saw Adriana going over to Antuari to heal him. It fired at her, instead. However, she seemed to begin to glow, and the energy didn't reach her. However, the creature simply warped its energy and created an energy cage around her. Then, he was hit by the blast Frus was charging, followed by a Monkey Fu from Chiro.

The shadow creature began to fire small blasts at Frus and Chiro, who jumped and dodged. Then, a dark blast hit Frus and the shadow followed up with a larger blast. When Frus hit the ground, however, the shadow noticed that Frus wasn't carrying his sword. The shadow turned around, just in time to see Ivy use Gaia, which was glowing with golden energy, to slash through its neck. The golden energy seemed to radiate out from the cut to the rest of its body, but suddenly, it stopped. The creature lifted its head from its body, shook it, and replaced it.

"Brilliant tactic, but futile," said the shadow. It began to advance when it was hit with repeated attacks from Chiro. The creature grabbed him and slammed him against the ground. But as it was doing that, Otto landed on its back.

"Little monkey, have you forgotten that your attacks are useless?" asked the shadow. It was quite surprised when Otto's saws, now glowing golden, burst through its chest. Suddenly, the shadow doubled in size and fell backwards. When it got up, Otto was still on the ground.

Ivy tried to attack again, but the shadow creature shot a blast of energy to stop her.

"Now, you have no hope! All I have to do is finish you all with one final BLAST!" the shadow beast lifted its hands and began to charge energy for a giant blast of energy. Suddenly, a hand reached up and rapped around the beast's neck. As it began to choke, it lost the energy it had been charging. Then, it wrenched away from its assailant's grip and turned to see that it was, in fact, Saga. His left hand was glowing with a strange gray energy.

"You-how did you-" began the creature.

"You didn't give me all of my power," responded Saga. The shadow creature started to attack with an energy blast, but it did minimal damage to Saga. Apparently Saga had gained a resistance to dark attacks while he was one with dark energy.

"I will kill you!" yelled the shadow creature. Saga laughed.

"You? You've already lost. There's just one thing left to do," said Saga. His right hand began to glow golden. Otto, his hands back to normal, gave Saga a thumbs-up. Then, Saga rushed forwards and grabbed the shadow with both hands. All of its wounds from the battle began to glow, and it exploded. When the dust cleared, Saga lay on the ground.

The dark energy around Adriana vanished, and she looked over at Saga. She began to walk over to help him, but Saga turned his head in her direction and lifted his right hand, signaling that he was alright.

"Go heal the others first," said Saga. Adriana did so; Ivy was able to heal herself now that the shadow creature was gone and she went to help Frus. Once everyone else was okay, Adriana went over to where Saga had been. However, he was gone. This time, however, he had not faded into the shadows. He stood atop a building and he watched the team, then began to run, off to who knows where. He will return some day, but when that is, even I don't know. One thing is certain. Even if he can't be considered a hero, he is definitely not pure evil.

THE END

Now, a note about powers. I'm not sure what to do about that golden energy, but since it has served its purpose, it's pretty much gone. I might let Frus summon those wings once in a while, though. As for Saga, he doesn't have his dark energy anymore, but it has been replaced by gray energy. He can still transform, but he has to stay at pretty much the same size now. Also, he doesn't just turn into anything. He has a few set forms: A regular-sized lindorm, his normal form, that human form he developed, he'll probably have a gray monkey form, and there are a few more forms that we'll see later.

Now, another note: An anomaly made Saga the robot much more powerful and intelligent than she had ever planned on. That is why Skeleton King reprogrammed him to serve him instead, and chose him as the shadow's vessel. Morgue's spell messed with that arrangement. With the shadow being already possessing him when he first became flesh, the dark energy became more a part of him than if he had been possessed in any other way. That's why he didn't just join the good guys and why his energy only became bright enough to be gray. You know the rest.


End file.
